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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE 























TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY COPIES PRINTED 







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LITTLE RHYMES 
FOR LITTLE PEOPLE 


BY 

ANNA M. PRATT 

I! 



CLEVELAND AND NEW YORK 
PRINTED AT THE DE VINNE PRESS FOR 
PAUL LEMPERLY, F. A. HILLIARD 
AND FRANK E. HOPKINS 
MDCCCXCVI 








COPYRIGHT, 1896, BY 
LEMPERLY, HILLIARD, AND HOPKINS 


NOTE 


Acknowledgments are due to the editors of 
« The Sunday School Advocate,# «The Youth’s 
Companion,# and «St. Nicholas# for their 
courtesy in permitting me to use these 
rhymes, most of which have appeared in 
their periodicals. 


Cleveland, Ohio, 
April, 1896. 


Anna M. Pratt. 




CONTENTS. 


A Bit of Advice 53 

A Difficult Thing 43 

A Fact 52 

A Good Method 57 

A Hint 44 

A June Industry 54 

A Little Scholar’s Idea of St. Sophia ... 44 

A Little Traveler 14 

A Lucky Traveler . 54 

A Man without a Country 59 

A Matter of Taste 53 

A May Song 52 

A Merry Thought . 56 

A Morning Promenade 36 

A Mortifying Mistake 31 

A Mother’s ’Sponsibilities 28 

A New Relation 23 

A Pretty Game 54 

A Pretty Gown 39 

A Promise 58 

A Puzzling Question 24,35 

A Queer Overcoat 37 

A Receipt 54 

A Rule to Remember 21 

A Snowy Day 46 

A Spoon Jingle 17 

A Sudden Change in the Weather .... 20 


9 


CONTENTS. 


A Useful Possession 34 

A Valentine 21 

A Warning 40 

A Welcome Caller 18 

A Young Scholar 44 

Abed 18 

An April Day 48 

An Exercise in Punctuation 34 

An Invitation 47 

An Opening for Chemists 38 

An Unwelcome Caller 33 

Bargains for Scholars 37 

Before and After 45 

Cambric Tea 23 

Christmas Secrets 38 

Contentment 19 

Dolly’s Lessons 25 

Dolly’s Picture 23 

Dolly’s Pocket 19 

Easter Eggs 39 

February Second 42 

Fireflies 42 

Fourth of July 59 

Friends and Neighbors 58 

Fun on the Turnpike 57 

Gossip 36 

Great Bargains 51 

How to do It 57 

Little Penelope’s Sewing 24 

Magnanimity 39 

10 




CONTENTS. 


Marjorie’s Reason 30 

Marketing 36 

Maybe 35 

« Mr. White is out of Jail » 34 

Nature’s Feast 49 

North and South 55 

Outdone by a Boy 45 

Phussandphret 50 

Polly 26 

Pop-corn 56 

Preparation 58 

Queer Things 55 

Rubbish 51 

So-la-num Tu-ber-o-sum 42 

Some Impossible Things 55 

Strawberries . . * 40 

Sweet Pea 40 

Telling the Baby’s Fortune 16 

The Creep-Mouse 15 

The Legend of Robin-Redbreast 13 

The Turkey’s Opinion 56 

Toddlekins and Trot 25 

Vacation Days 32 

What d’ye Think? 22 

What ’s in a Name ? 22 

Where are Baby’s Dimples Sweetest ? ... 15 

Who Knows? 43 

Window Faces 35 

Winter Roses 52 

Would You Like It? 48 


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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


THE LEGEND OF ROBIN-REDBREAST. 

When Jesus walked to Calvary, 

’T is said, a little bird 
Beheld Him, and its gentle heart 
With pitying love was stirred. 

It flew and plucked a cruel thorn 
From out the mocking crown, 

While drops from Jesus’ bleeding brow 
Fell on its bosom brown. 

They dyed the glossy plumage red— 
And now all robins wear 
A stain upon their breasts to show 
That deed of loving care. 

Nor have they ever lacked a friend,— 
’T was thus the legend read,— 

For robin-redbreast when in need 
By children has been fed. 

13 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE.. 


A LITTLE TRAVELER. 

Tight holding friendly fingers, 

She leaves her mother’s knee 

And takes a zigzag journey, 

Strange countries for to see. 

She lifts her tiny foot and smiles— 
So venturesome she feels; 

She puts it down and laughs aloud— 
Such wonders life reveals! 

Another step! she rolls about 
And sways from side to side— 

A little bark that, laboring, seeks 
To stem an unknown tide. 

She skirts along the foreign coasts, 
And well-nigh comes to grief 

Because a wrinkle in the rug 
Turns out a dangerous reef. 

At last, at last she comes to port, 
Where, safe from all alarms, 

She rests within the haven 
Of her mother’s sheltering arms. 

0 happy little traveler, 

Wherever thou mayst roam, 

God speed thee on thy journey 
And bring thee safely home. 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


THE CREEP-MOUSE. 

When baby in the morning 
Begins to coo and crow, 

A little cuddley creep-mouse 
Keeps moving to and fro. 

And over all the dimples 
Doth the little creep-mouse creep, 
Till it finds the very sweetest one, 
And there it goes to sleep. 


WHERE ARE BABY’S DIMPLES SWEETEST? 

Where are baby’s dimples sweetest? 

Is it this one in her chin 
Where my kisses shall begin ? 

Is it this one in her cheek 

Where her smiles play hide-and-seek ? 

Or this upon her little shoulder 
That tempts the lips of each beholder ? 

Or these upon her dainty hand— 

Are these the sweetest in the land ? 

When you know which rose is whitest, 

Which sunbeam on the river brightest, 

Which bird that cuts the air the fleetest, 

You ’ll know where dimples are the sweetest. 


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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


TELLING THE BABY’S FORTUNE. 

Grandma’s little namesake 
To-day is one year old; 

So with broom and book and money 
Her fortune must be told. 

For grandma says her grandma 
Believed the sign came true, 

That what a baby chose that day 
She ’d have her whole life through. 

Now little Auntie Florence, 

Whose nose is out of joint, 

Shall set the things before our pet, 

And see which way she ’ll point. 

Here they are, all in a row,— 

The broom and book and gold; 

Now, grandma’s darling, take your choice, 
For to-day you ’re one year old. 

She does n’t want the broom at all: 

You can tell that by her look. 

She knows her mind; she ’ll take them both— 
The money and the book. 

She jumps and crows, the little witch, 

And laughs as if she knew 

She ’d made a very clever choice 
To be wise and wealthy too. 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


«Oh, fie!» says Auntie Florence. 

«She does n’t like a broom; 

I ’m ’fraid she ’ll never see the dust 
In the corners of her room.» 

« Dear heart,)) says grandma, smiling, 

« She ’ll know what ’s best to do; 

She can bless and brighten many lives 
If her fortune should come true.)) 

A SPOON JINGLE. 

Fly away, fly away, round and round the moon; 

What does Neddie see in his bread-and-milk spoon ? 
Here ’s a funny little face— its eyes are in its chin; 
Now ’t is very round and plump, and now ’t is long and thin. 
There ’s something at the top that’s like a spotted gown; 
Why, bless your little blue eyes! ’t is baby upside down. 
Let ’s turn the spoon around and look at little Ned; 
What a little mischief! he keeps standing on his head. 
Go away, you naughty child! we ’ll put you in the cup; 
Babies cannot have their milk unless they’re right side up. 

Fly away, fly away, home from the moon; 

What does Neddie see on the bottom of his spoon ? 
Here ’s the little rogue again in another place, 

Sitting up as straight as Ned and laughing in his face. 
He surely wants some supper, for he’s trying to be good, 
And we shall have to give him some of baby’s food. 
Here ’s some bread and milk for him, and here ’s some 
more for Ned. 

Good night, dear little spoon boy ; my baby’s going to bed. 
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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


ABED. 

When the flowers hear a call, 

« Darlings, you must go to sleep,)) 

Off they drop their pretty gowns, 

Softly into bed they creep. 

Do you know what keeps them warm 
Through the cold and wind and storm ? 

Just as mamma tucks you in 
When she kisses you good night, 

So the flowers are nestled down 
’Neath a blanket snowy white. 

But first a coverlet is spread 
Over every sleepyhead— 

A pretty coverlet of brown, 

With leafy patterns fanciful; 

And over that the blanket fine, 

Spun of cloud-land’s softest wool. 
Under these the sleeping flowers 
Dream away the winter hours. 

A WELCOME CALLER. 

« Hurry! hurry, postman! 

Why do you lag ? » 

« I am coming, little lady, 

With a plump and heavy bag. 

I have bills and I have letters 
For your father and your mother, 
And half a dozen valentines 
For you and little brother.)) 

18 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


DOLLY’S POCKET. 

My dolly is so happy, 

Her eyes are very bright, 

And when there ’s no one looking 
She laughs with all her might. 

She ’s perfeckly ridic’l’us; 

I ’m sure you ’d never guess— 

It ’s ’cause I put a pocket 
In her pretty gingham dress. 

But I ’ve told her that a pocket 
Is n’t made for peanut shells, 

And she must n’t get it sticky 
With dates and caramels. 

And if she ’s not partic’lar 
To ’member what I say, 

She ’ll find on some bright morning 
Her pocket ’s flown away. 

CONTENTMENT. 

I ’m glad I am a little girl, 

And have the afternoons for play, 

For if I was a busy bee 

I s’pose I ’d have to work all day. 

And if I was an owl I ’d be 
Afraid to keep awake all night; 

And if I was an elephant] 

How could I learn to be polite ? 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


And if I was the Jersey calf 
I might forget my name and age; 

And if I was a little dog 
I could n’t read the Children’s Page. 

My sakes! when I begin to count 
It makes my head go all a-whirl— 

There are so many reasons why 
I ’m glad I am a little girl. 

A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE WEATHER. 

« Dear Toddlekins,» said Trot, 

« The weather is so hot 
I am going to study joggerfry— perhaps 
You and I can find the way, 

With a reindeer and a sleigh, 

To the places that are frozen on the maps.» 

Then Toddlekins replied, 

With the haughty air of pride, 

«0h, bother all the joggerfries in school! 

I ’ve a nickel, don’t you see ? 

Now come along with me, 

And we ’ll have a dish of ice-cream, pink and cool.» 

So Toddlekins and Trot, 

In a pleasant, sunny spot, 

With one modest dish of cream sat down together; 
Each had a shiny spoon, 

And although ’t was nearly noon 
They decided it was really chilly weather. 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A VALENTINE. 

I ’ll build a house of lollypops 

Just suited, sweetheart, to your taste; 

The windows shall be lemon-drops, 

The doors shall be of jujube paste— 
Heigh-ho, if you T1 be mine! 

With peppermints I ’ll pave the walks; 

A little garden, too, I ’ll sow 

With seeds that send up sugared stalks 
On which the candied violets grow— 
Heigh-ho, my Valentine! 

Some seats of sassafras I ’ll make 
Because I know you think it ’s nice; 

The cushions shall be jelly cake 
Laced all around with lemon ice— 
Heigh-ho, if you ’ll be mine! 

We ’ll have a party every day, 

And feast on cream and honeydew; 

And, though you ’re only six, we ’ll play 
That I am just as young as you— 
Heigh-ho, my Valentine! 


A RULE TO REMEMBER. 

Tommy Bob counted with fingers and thumbs 
To find out the time when Thanksgiving day comes. 
Then laughing, he said, « I forgot to remember 
’T is always on Thursday— the last in November.)) 
21 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


WHAT D’ YE THINK? 

In a queer old nest of carpet, 

All cuddled in a heap, 

Three funny little what-d’-ye-thinks 
Are lying sound asleep. 

One is gray and one is black, 

And one is gray and white, 

And somebody who ’s seen them says 
They ’re a very cunning sight. 

But they must be stupid little dots, 

These sunny days— just think! 

Not one of them has oped an eye 
Or even winked a wink. 

If you know any little girl 
Who is fond of things that purr, 

That frisk about in whiskers 
And coats all trimmed with fur, 

Be sure to send me word, and when 
These what-d’-ye-thinks have grown, 

She shall have a little kit — d’ ye think ?— 
For her « ownty-donty » own. 

WHAT’S IN A NAME? 

When I made a rhyme for Elsie, 

She asked, with wondering look, 

« Is that what folks call poultry 
When they read it in a book? » 

22 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


DOLLY’S PICTURE. 

Now, Dolly, mind! you must n’t laugh; 
’T won’t look well in a photograph. 

Not quite so sober, either— why, 

You look as if you meant to cry! 

Put on a pleasant ’spression— so; 

Just raise your chin, don’t move a toe; 
Now tip your head this way, and see 
The pretty birdie— one, two, three! 
Your picture ’s taken; that will do; 

I hope ’t will be as sweet as you. 


CAMBRIC TEA. 

My mamma says that cambric tea 
Is good for little girls like me. 

She makes it very white and thin 
Instead of putting cambric in. 

It really is a d’licious drink, 

And does n’t taste as you would think. 


A NEW RELATION. 

Now, Dolly, listen! what you s’pose 
I ’ve got for you to-day ? 

It ’s sumfin that will joint my nose 
(That ’s what I heard ’em say). 

I ’m sure you ’ll like it, ’cause it ’s new — 
A little uncle just for you. 

23 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


LITTLE PENELOPE’S SEWING. 

Little Penelope took up her needle, 

And tied a knot at the end of her thread; 

And when she had found her thimble finger, 

« Now I must learn to sew,» she said. 

She sat on the floor and tipped over the basket 
Till she found some pieces, blue, yellow, and red; 
She cut with her scissors some crisscross patches. 

« I ’ll make my dolly a quilt, » she said. 

She put in her needle, this way and that way; 

She pushed and she pulled till her fingers bled; 
And when she had twisted and puckered and knotted, 
«My doll has a crazy-quilt !» she said. 


A PUZZLING QUESTION. 

Grandma says (though I don’t see why) 
That I am the apple of her eye; 

Brother calls me a dunce; Aunt Fan 
Says she thinks I’ma little man; 

Father says I’ma reg’lar boy, 

And mother calls me her pride ’n’ joy. . 

Now this is what I would like to know— 
How in the world can a fellow grow 
Who ’s a pride ’n’ joy, an apple, a dunce, 
A reg’lar boy, and a man at once! 

24 


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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


TODDLEKINS AND TROT. 

« Dear Toddlekins,» said little Trot, 

« May I talk to you awhile ? » 

« Why, yeth, of courthe,» said Toddlekins, 
With a bashful little smile. 

« Now, Toddlekins,)) said little Trot, 

« If we should meet a bear—)) 

« Good graciouth me ! » said Toddlekins, 
«You give me thuch a thcare!» 

« If we should meet a bear,)) said Trot, 
((Would you let me save your life?)) 

«0h merthy! yeth!» said Toddlekins, 

« If you had a butcher knife.)) 

« Yes, bears and tigers too,» said Trot, 

« I ’d kill them all alone.» 

« Dear Trot,» said frightened Toddlekins, 
« Pleathe wait till you are grown.)) 

DOLLY’S LESSONS. 

I want to teach my dolly— 

Her ig’rance is obsurd; 

I really hate to ’fess it, 

But she cannot spell a word. 

Tho’ I give her short ezamples, 

She never gets them done, 

For she does n’t know her tables 
As far as one times one. 

She pays the best of ’tention, 

And p’r’aps I am too strick, 

25 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


But sakes! she tries my patience 
When she studies ’rifm’tic. 

She ’s careless ’bout her writin’— 

She scratches like a hen, 

And now she ’s sprained her thumb so bad 
She cannot hold a pen. 

She ought to have a lib’ary; 

But what would be the use 
To get her books of poickry 
When she can’t read « Mother Goose » ? 
She must have a ed-ju-ca-tion , 

For her mamma ’d die of shame 
If dolly should be lost some day 
When she could n’t spell her name. 

POLLY. 

Little, laughing, blue-eyed Polly 
Says she wants another dolly— 

One that smiles and coos and crows, 

With dimpled hands and « truly toes,» 

One who ’ll know when she has kissed her— 
In short, a little baby sister. 

A neighbor just across the street 
Has one that ’s very, very sweet; 

And on the window every day 
It taps in a bewitching way 
With baby fingers soft and warm 
That takes dear Polly’s heart by storm. 

She wonders if she cannot buy it, 

And says with hope, « I’m going to try it.» 

26 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


She lays her treasures on a chair, 

And counts them o’er and o’er with care: 
A string of buttons— very nice, 

But, she ’s afraid, not worth the price 
The baby is; some picture-books 
A little shabby in their looks; 

A doll (the picture of despair), 

And wardrobe much the worse for wear. 

Across her brow a wrinkle slips, 

A pucker fastens on her lips; 

She ponders well in deepest thought 
Of how the baby can be bought; 

But all at once she smiles, for maybe 
Two little cats are worth one baby. 

Her frisky kittens, Pink and Peep, 

Are cuddled close and sound asleep; 

She takes them with a hurried sigh 
And kisses them a last good-by; 

And then she goes with flying feet 
To try their fate across the street. 

With longing eyes and gentle tone 
She shyly makes her errand known: 

« Please will you sell the baby cheap 
For both my kittens, Pink and Peep ? » 

The baby’s mother looks amused, 

But says that she must be excused. 

The baby laughs and jumps and crows, 
Pulls Polly’s hair, and pats her nose, 

27 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


Until her eyes with tears are wet, 

Though half with pain and half regret; 

Then « loves » her,— « loves# the kittens too,— 
And Polly’s heart ensnares anew. 

When, by and by, she hears mamma 
Call, « Polly, run to meet papal# 

She takes her kittens on her arm, 

But notices with quick alarm 
A quiver on the baby’s lip; 

And down she lets the kittens slip. 

Again she goes with flying feet, 

But empty hands, across the street. 

Dear Polly, such a loving heart 
Will always choose the better part; 

What ’s given with willing sacrifice 
Love raises to a kingly price. 

Long life be yours the world to bless 
With acts of sweet unselfishness! 


A MOTHER’S ’SPONSIBILITIES. 

’T is a dretful ’sponsibility 
To bring up dollies right, 

And I re’lly thought this mornin’ 
My bang was turnin’ white. 

My Della Carolina 
Is a very lovely child, 

But her brother, Alessander!! 

He nearly drives me wild. 

28 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


Now Della has pecoolyar hair, 

T is quite a Teeshun 1 red. 

(I don’t know how to spell it, 

But that ’s what mamma said.) 

And that naughty Alessander 

Called his sister « Redhead » twice ; 

So I sat him down emphatic, 

And I gave him this advice: 

« Respeck your sister’s feelin’s; 

You ’re not behavin’ well.» 

But he made a funny face, and said, 

« Then I ’ll call her Auburn Dell.» 

And when I ’sisted firmly 
He should call her Caro— my! 

He said that ’s short for carrot-top, 

And he ’s ’fraid ’t would make her cry. 

I had to play purtend and cough, 

Until I ’most was chokin’, 

Because if he had seen me laugh 
He ’d kept right on a-jokin’. 

But I made him wear his sister’s dress 
Until he went to bed, 

And he promised that he ’d never ’lude 
To anythin ’ that ’s red. 

1 Titian was a famous Italian artist, in whose pictures the 
women were represented with beautiful red hair. 

29 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


MARJORIE’S REASON. 

Scarlet poppies in a row, 

Pinks and pansies, how they grow 
In Marjorie’s garden gay! 

Mignonette and sweet peas fair 
Shed their fragrance on the air 
The livelong summer day. 

Oh! whisper softly in my ear 
How you charm the flowers, dear, 

To bloom so long a while. 

« Why, they ’re my children, don’t you see ? 
I love them as mamma loves me,» 

She says, with dimpling smile. 

« I dig around their roots (don’t you ?), 
Because they like, as babies do, 

To stretch their little toes; 

And then I pull the weeds away, 

Or else they ’d choke the flowers some day, 
As everybody knows. 

« They ’re thirsty little things, I think, 

And so I give them all a drink 
Whenever they are dry; 

For they ’re my children, don’t you see ? 

I love them as mamma loves me; 

And that ’s the reason why.» 


t 


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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A MORTIFYING MISTAKE. 

I studied my tables over and over, and backward and 
forward too; 

But I could n’t remember six times nine, and I did n’t 
know what to do, 

Till sister told me to play with my doll and not to 
bother my head. 

« If you call her < Fifty-four > for a while, you ’ll learn 
it by heart,)) she said. 

So I took my favorite, Mary Ann (though I thought 
’t was a dreadful shame 

To give such a perfectly lovely child such a perfectly 
horrid name), 

And I called her my dear little « Fifty-four » a hundred 
times, till I knew 

The answer of six times nine as well as the answer of 
two times two. 

Next day Elizabeth Wigglesworth, who always acts so 
proud, 

Said, « Six times nine is fifty-two,)) and I nearly laughed 
aloud! 

But I wished I had n’t when teacher said, « Now, Doro- 
thy, tell, if you can,» 

For I thought of my doll and— sakes alive!— I answered 
— « Mary Ann ! » 


31 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


VACATION DAYS. 

The school-bell rings with a cheerful sound, 

To hasten the slow late comer. 

« To-morrow we ’ll play,» 

It seems to say. 

« Hurrah for the first vacation day! 
Hurrah for a merry summer!# 

The faithful bell, now the school is done, 

Must pause in its daily swinging. 

Does it miss the noise 
Of the girls and boys. 

And long to echo vacation joys 
With a peal of its wildest ringing ? 

Soon, over the country far and wide, 

There are ripples of happy laughter; 

For the children know 
Where the berries grow, 

Where the purling streams thro’ the 
meadows flow, 

And the hurrying brooks speed after. 

They know where the mountains lift their heads, 
By the great sky-curtain bounded; 

And their voices leap 
To the craggy steep, 

And wake the echoes from out their 
sleep 

With shouts that are thrice resounded. 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


They know where the sea lies, blue and calm, 

In the bright midsummer weather; 

And they love to stand 
On the shining sand 

Where the tide rolls up,— and then, hand 
in hand, 

To plung in the wave together. 

They love to loiter in leafy woods, 

And list to the squirrel’s scolding, 

As they climb to a seat 
Near his safe retreat, 

Or fall on a couch, all spicy sweet, 

Of feathery ferns unfolding. 

But, by and by, in the autumn days, 

Ere the bee has deserted the clover, 

When the sound of the bell 
Shall rise and swell, 

Will the little folk laugh— now who can 
tell? — 

To hear that vacation is over ? 

AN UNWELCOME CALLER. 

Jack Frost came to the window-pane 
And softly tapped with his icicle cane. 

« Excuse me,» I said, « the doors are tight, 

And I ’d rather you would n’t come in to-night.» 
So he scratched his name all over the glass, 

And the baby sneezed as she heard him pass. 

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LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


AN EXERCISE IN PUNCTUATION. 

A funny old man told this to me: 

« I fell in a snow-drift in June,» said he, 

« I went to a ball game out in the sea 
I saw a jellyfish float on a tree 
I found some gum in a cup of tea 
I stirred the milk with a big brass key 
I opened my door on my bended knee 
I ask your pardon for this,» said he, 

« But ’t is true; well told, as it ought to be.» 


A USEFUL POSSESSION. 

If a string is in a knot 
Patience will untie it. 
Patience can do many things; 

Did you ever try it ? 

If ’t was sold at any shop 
I should like to buy it, 

But you and I must find our own; 
No other can supply it. 


«MR. WHITE IS OUT OF JAIL.» 

I called my trusty men and true— 

« Thread and Needle, Thimble too, 

Mr. White is out of jail; 

Follow quickly on his trail.)) 

They chased the rogue thro’ thick and thin, 
They brought him back and barred him in. 
34 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


MAYBE. 

Perhaps there is an old white owl 
Afraid to stay in the dark, 

And possibly there ’s a yellow dog 
Who does n’t know how to bark, 

And it may be there is a brindled cow 
Who is n’t proud of her calf,— 

But I hope there is n’t a boy or girl 
Who does n’t enjoy a laugh. 

WINDOW FACES. 

Windows look when opened wide 
Laughing fit to split their side. 

When they ’re only opened half 
They seem to have a jolly laugh. 

When they ’re raised a peg or two 
They smile as bashful children do. 

When they ’re shut and will not budge 
They ’re quite as sober as a judge. 

Look up and down the street, and see 
If they laugh at you as they do at me. 

A PUZZLING QUESTION. 

I ’ve learned to say some words in French, 
I ’ve studied them a week; 

What puzzles me, I do declare, 

Is how the babies over there 
In France can learn to speak. 

35 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


MARKETING. 

Mistress Apis, dressed in brown, 

Markets mostly out of town. 

She goes to Clover Fields for honey, 

But never pays a cent of money. 

Her flour she buys of those who keep 
A stock of pollen fresh and cheap; 

For she must make some good bee-bread 
That many babies may be fed. 

She ’s such a worker! for, you see, 

She is a little honey-bee. 

A MORNING PROMENADE. 

Some pink-and-white peppermints (that is the talk) 
With the animal crackers are going for a walk; 
There ’s a cow that never was heard to moo, 

A brindled pig and an elephant too, 

A chicken that did n’t come out of an egg, 

A dog that limps upon one hind leg, 

A horse that is n’t acquainted with hay, 

And a dear old daddy to show them the way. 

Higgledy-piggledy off they ’ll pack 

Down Red Lane, and they ’ll never come back. 

GOSSIP. 

Two sparrows at my window 
Exchanged a friendly word: 

« Did you ever! » « No, I never! » 

And that was all I heard. 


36 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


BARGAINS FOR SCHOLARS. 

A queer little man kept an alphabet-shop, 

And out from his counter, hippity-hop, 

He danced until he was ready to drop, 

Singing and shouting, with never a stop: 

« Come in, little scholars, 

With bright silver dollars, 

Or if you ’ve not any 
Then come with a penny. 

I have bumble B’s 
And marrowfat P’s, 

Some Chinese Q’s 
And Japanese T’s, 

A flock of J's 
And lots of E’s, 

And perfectly beautiful dark-blue C’s; 

This is the place to buy your knowledge 
At cheaper rates than are given at college!® 
Then he ’d draw a long breath and spin like a top, 
This queer little man in an alphabet-shop. 


A QUEER OVERCOAT. 

A very odd man who walked out in a storm 
Thought he ’d wear a brass knocker to keep himself 
warm; 

« Because,® said he, « I can plainly see 
An outside wrap is the thing for me; 

And a knocker is made for an outside rap, 

So perhaps it will serve for a coat and a cap.® 

37 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


CHRISTMAS SECRETS. 

You must n’t look in corners, 

And you must n’t hear a sound, 
Because a flock of secrets 
Is flying all around. 

They ’ll perch upon the Christmas trees 
When weary of their flight, 

Or they ’ll build their nests in stockings 
In the middle of the night. 

But catch them Christmas morning; 

For dear old Santa sends 
In every one a sweet surprise 
To his loving little friends. 


AN OPENING FOR CHEMISTS. 

Professor De Bombast was heard to remark, 

« For saccharine food I have feelings of odium; 

And whenever I eat 
Potatoes and meat, 

I like them well seasoned with chloride of sodium.)) 

His neighbors all said that, clearly enough, 

His complexion was spoiled by such poisonous stuff ; 
Though any young chemist with good powers of 
reasoning 

Might prove to the neighbors ’t is excellent seasoning. 


38 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


EASTER EGGS. 

Humpty-Dumpty has country cousins 
Who come to the city in spring by dozens; 

They make such a brilliant show in town 
You ’d think that a rainbow had tumbled down; 
Blue and yellow and pink and green, 

The gayest gowns that ever were seen, 

Purple and gold, and oh! such style, 

They are all the rage for a little while; 

But their visit is short, for no one stays 
After the Easter holidays. 

A PRETTY GOWN. 

All the shop-windows in town are full 
Of silk and cotton and gingham and wool, 

But none of them shows a gown so gay 
As the one Mrs. Humming-Bird wears to-day. 

’T is the very same fashion her grandmother wore, 
And has n’t a seam or a pucker or gore; 

The sun does n’t fade it, the rain does n’t spot, 

And it ’s just the thing, whether chilly or hot. 

’T is a perfect fit, and it won’t wear out, 

But will last her as long as she lives, no doubt. 

MAGNANIMITY. 

He who is master of the fittest time 
His enemy to humble in the dust, 

And lets it pass with chivalry sublime, 

Is born to conquer in a cause that ’s just. 

39 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


SWEET PEA. 

Sweet Pea put on her prettiest hood 
And climbed the garden wall; 

’T was a narrow ledge where the darling stood, 
And I feared that she might fall. 

But she danced with the butterfly, 
Bowed to the bee, 

And never even noticed me— 

The pretty, pinky, saucy Pea. 


STRAWBERRIES. 

Lady Katharine said, 

As she buttered her bread, 

« They tell me that strawberries 
Grow in a bed.» 

« Oh, my! ’t is n’t so,» 

Said the princess; «they grow 
In the ground; for I ’ve seen ’em, 

And I ought to know.)) 

A WARNING. 

Mr. Zerubbabel Smyth de Klyn 
Resolved he would write a valentine 
To a maiden he thought both fair and fine. 

«I ’ll write it in flowing verse, » quoth he; 

« Her heart is like ice, but ’t will melt for me, 
When I vow that I write on my bended knee.» 
40 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


He took paper and ink and a new stub-pen, 

And to quicken his fancy he counted ten, 

While he made a few flourishes now and then. 

He rolled up his eyes and wrote « Evermore®; 

Arose and said, as he walked the floor, 

« Methinks that with motion my mind will soar.» 

Then he thought, « To excitement I seem inclined; 

I ’d better sit down to calm my mind,» 

And he whistled for thought as do sailors for wind. 

He patted his brow and he petted his chin, 

With a pensive smile that resembled a grin: 

He was sure that now he ’d begun to begin. 

He heaved a sigh and scribbled, «My lass;» 

Then mournfully went to watch in the glass 
His feelings over his features pass. 

He could hear the rat-tat-tat of his heart, 

And almost the thoughts he wished to impart. 

«If I only,)) said he, « could get a good start!)) 

For inspiration he tore his hair 

And gazed at the ceiling, but naught was there. 

He groaned, « Can this calm be the calm of despair? » 

Thus he wore the hours of the night away, 

But he wrote not a line for St. Valentine’s day; 

For, you see— he had nothing at all to say. 

To the maiden he thought so fair and fine 
The post brought many a valentine, 

But never a word from Z. S. de Klyn. 

41 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


FEBRUARY SECOND. 

Phyllisy Phollisy turned off the gas 
When she gave a party at Candlemas. 

Every guest brought a gift that night; 

Some were yellow and some were white, 

Others were green and purple and pink, 

And straight as beanpoles. Now, why do you 
think 

That Phyllisy Phollisy turned off the gas 
When she gave a party at Candlemas ? 

FIREFLIES. 

Round about the roses, cinnamon, and musk, 

Half a hundred fireflies are flashing in the dusk; 
Darting through the fragrant air, tiny points of light, 
They glitter for a second, then vanish out of sight; 
Here a gleam, there a gleam— perhaps if they could 
speak 

They ’d tell us they are truant stars, playing hide-and- 
seek. 

SOLANUM TUBEROSUM. 

So-la-num Tu-ber-o-sum fell in a boiling pot, 

And split his jacket down the back, the weather was 
so hot; 

But as he could n’t use his eyes, he really was n’t able 
To take it off; so Bridget helped, and sent him to the 
table. 

« What a very fine potato ! » said Billy Boy— and then 
So-la-num Tu-ber-o-sum was never seen again. 

42 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A DIFFICULT THING. 

Little Miss Prudence Penelope Price, 
Uncommonly prim and extremely precise, 

Sat down without warning quite hard on the ice. 
And oh, how she blushed 
As every one rushed 
To assist her again to her feet! 

But she said, with a smile very sweet, 

« Altho’ I have spread 
My aunt’s feather bed 

On the floor while I practised reclining with grace, 
I find it a tax 
To really relax 

My muscles in such a conspicuous place. 

Perhaps when I ’ve practised in all kinds of wea- 
thers 

I shall sit on the ice as if it were feathers.)) 

A difficult thing for one so precise! 

But every one said, « How exceedingly nice 
Of little Miss Prudence Penelope Price!)) 

WHO KNOWS? 

I wonder if George Washington, 

When he was nine years old, 

Turned out his toes and brushed his hair 
And always shut the door with care 
And did as he was told. 

I wonder if he never said, 

«Oh dear ! » when he was sent to bed. 

43 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A HINT. 

If you should frown and I should frown 
While walking out together, 

The happy folk about the town 
Would say, « The clouds are settling down 
In spite of pleasant weather.» 

If you should smile and I should smile 
While walking out together, 

Sad folk would say, « Such looks beguile 
The weariness of many a mile 
In dark and dreary weather.» 


A YOUNG SCHOLAR. 

Grammar is a mystery, 

Arithmetic he hates, 

But he ’ll take the prize in history, 
He eats so many dates. 


A LITTLE SCHOLAR’S IDEA OF ST. SOPHIA. 

Ruth is learning many things, 

And often home from school she brings 
Rare bits of learning and research. 

To-day with shining eyes she said, 

« 0 mamma! have you ever read 
’Bout Turkey and its ’normous church ? 

Its name is Saints Afire— I know 
Because my teacher told me so.» 

44 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


OUTDONE BY A BOY. 

He looked very small for a boy of ten, 

As he stood before a group of men, 

And asked for work with a modest air; 

« I will do your errands,)) he said, « with care.» 
They laughed, and with words that shall be unsaid 
They joked till his face with pain grew red. 

« You are built, » said one, « on a limited plan— 
You never will make a full-grown man.» 

Then another— « I ’m sure it is not very wise 
To expect much work from a chap of your size.» 
The youngster looked at the bearded men; 

«I ’m small,)) said he, « and I ’m only ten, 

And you are grown up and know a lot; 

But I can do something that you cannot.)) 

« What ’s that? » they cried. « It will strike us dumb 
To be cast in the shade by young Hop-o’-my-thumb.)) 
« I can keep from swearing,)) the boy replied, 

And the little form grew dignified. 

He turned, but he did not hear one say, 

« That ’s a sermon I ’ll not forget to-day .» 

BEFORE AND AFTER. 

He went to the barber’s to leave his curls, 

And quietly walked with the little girls; 

But when the barber had used his shears 
He felt he had grown a dozen years; 

And now, with shouts and a rackety noise, 

He is racing home with the other boys. 

45 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A SNOWY DAY. 

Sing a song of snowflakes, 

White and soft and cool, 

Four and twenty little folk 
Running home from school; 
Frisking, laughing, shouting, 

All along their way— 

What a jolly time they have 
On a snowy day! 

Hurrah! With flying snowballs 
A merry war begins. 

See the sudden blooming 
Of rosy cheeks and chins! 

They look as if old winter brought 
The apple-flowers of May, 

These rosy faces powdered white 
On a snowy day. 

Following a leader brave, 

On the children run, 

Plunging through the deepest drifts, 
Falling down in fun; 

Frisking, laughing, shouting, 

All along their way— 

What a jolly time they have 
On a snowy day! 


46 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


AN INVITATION. 

« Open your mouth and shut your eyes, 

And I ’ll give you something to make you wise.)) 

If you were a little Eskimo, 

Born in a land of ice and snow, 

You ’d like the greasiest kind of fish, 

And think bear’s meat a dainty dish. 

Or if you lived in a Chinese house 
Perhaps you ’d choose a good fat mouse. 

Ants’ eggs are a treat to the Siamese, 

And some folks like the livers of geese. 

Some, I ’ve heard, eat snails on toast, 

While others feast on a grasshopper roast. 

In Burmah people take much pride 
In serving locusts stuffed and fried. 

But « open your mouth and shut your eyes,» 

For none of these dainties shall make you wise. 
Here ’s something that grows where the robins tune, 
Ripening under the skies of June; 

Something that ’s red and spicy and sweet, 

With a dash of sour to make it complete. 

It sits on a mat so soft and green 
’T is fit for the fingers of king or queen. 

My mouth is watering just for a taste 
As I dip it in sugar— so now make haste 
To « open your mouth and shut your eyes, 

And I ’ll give you something to make you wise.)) 


47 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


AN APRIL DAY. 

On an April day, 

When things fell out in an April way, 

The heavens were suddenly overcast, 

The sky grew black, and the rain fell fast, 
Swiftly the tears began to rise 
In Marjorie’s eyes. 

On an April day, 

When her sport was lost by an hour’s delay, 

I watched a dear child struggle the while 
She conquered her tears with a pleasant smile, 
Till I saw the sunshine I missed from the skies 
In Marjorie’s eyes. 

On an April day, 

When it suddenly cleared in an April way, 

The sun shone out and the rainbow grew. 

We gazed with delight, but for me there were 
two; 

For her smile through her tears was the rain- 
bow’s guise 

In Marjorie’s eyes. , 


WOULD YOU LIKE IT? 

I think ’t would be fun to live in a nest 
And to snuggle down under a mother bird’s breast; 
But oh, dear me ! I know I should squirm 
When the father bird brought me a fat little worm. 
48 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


NATURE’S FEAST. 

Dame Nature dons her sweeping-cap, 

And then takes out her brooms; 

And oh, she raises such a dust 
As she sweeps her spacious rooms! 

She brushes fields and hillsides 
And the leafy forest floor, 

The city streets, the country lanes, 

The rocks and sandy shore. 

She swings her broom, the brisk March wind, 
And sometimes lifts it high 
To sweep with strong and vigorous strokes 
The clouds from out the sky. 

She scrubs and scours her house throughout 
Until ’t is sweet and clean; 

And then she hangs her draperies 
And lays her rugs of green. 

She freshens up the rugged vines, 

She makes the waysides fair; 

She adds a bit of color here, 

A patch of brightness there. 

She flings her perfumes all about, 

She gilds the rosy east, 

And sends a thousand minstrels out 
To bid us to her feast. 

Such welcome gives she to her guests 
That children love to stay 
Within the house so often cleaned 
In this good old-fashioned way. 

49 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


PHUSSANDPHRET. 

Have you heard of the land called Phussandphret, 
Where the people live upon woes and regret ? 

Its climate is bad, I ’ve heard folks say; 

There ’s seldom, if ever, a pleasant day. 

’T is either too gloomy from cloudy skies, 

Or so bright the sunshine dazzles one’s eyes; 

T is either so cold one is all of a chill, 

Or else ’t is so warm it makes one ill; 

The season is either too damp or too dry, 

And mildew or drought is always nigh; 

For nothing that ever happened yet 
Was just as it should be in Phussandphret. 

And the children— it really makes me sad 
To think they never look happy and glad. 

It is « Oh, dear me ! » until school is done, 

And ’t is then ((There never is time for fun!» 
Their teachers are cross, they all declare, 

And examinations are never fair. 

Each little duty they ’re apt to shirk 
Because they ’re tired or ’t is too hard work. 

Every one is as grave as an owl, 

And has pouting lips or a gloomy scowl; 

The voices whine and the eyes are wet 
In this doleful country of Phussandphret. 

Now if ever you find your feet are set 
On the downhill road into Phussandphret, 

Turn and travel the other way, 

Or you never will know a happy day. 


50 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


Follow some cheerful face; ’t will guide 
To the land of Look-at-the-Pleasant-Side. 

Then something bright you will always see, 

No matter how dark the day may be. 

You ’ll smile at your tasks and laugh in your dreams, 
And learn that no ill is as bad as it seems. 

So lose no time, but haste to get 
As far as you can from Phussandphret. 

GREAT BARGAINS. 

I know a little merchant 
Who deals in sunny smiles; 

He always keeps a stock on hand 
Of various sorts and styles. 

His prices are so very low 
They ’re really quite absurd; 

He ’ll sell his biggest and his best 
For a pleasant look and word. 

RUBBISH. 

I gathered all the scowls and growls 
Miss Grumble left around, 

To sell them to the ragman 
At half a cent a pound. 

But ah! he knew a thing or two, 

For he shook his tousled head; 

«No, ma’am! I ’ll have good-natured rags 
Or none at all,» he said. 

51 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


WINTER ROSES. 

Take a deep snow-drift and three little boys, 

Mix them together with laughing and noise, 

Rub them, and roll them, and keep them astir 
And very well heated with woolen and fur— 

Then six little cheeks and three little noses 
Will bloom in the snow-drift like midsummer roses. 

A FACT. 

When the sparrow has a toothache, 

And the bluebird tears her gown, 

And the robin falls to sobbin’ 

If a chipmunk tumbles down, 

That day a mole and a bat may see 
A cow jump over a dried-apple tree. 

A MAY SONG. 

The orchard is a rosy cloud, 

The oak a rosy mist, 

And oh, the gold of the buttercups 
The morning sun has kissed! 

There are twinkling shadows on the grass 
Of a myriad tiny leaves, 

And a twittering loud from the busy crowd 
That build beneath the eaves. 

Then sing , happy children ! 

The bird and bee are here ; 

The May-time is a gay time, 

The blossom-time & the year. 

52 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A message comes across the fields. 

Borne on the balmy air; 

For all the little seeking hands 
There are flowers enough and to spare. 
Hark! a murmuring in the hive; 

List! a carol clear and sweet; 

While feathered throats the thrilling notes 
A thousand times repeat. 

Then sing, happy children ! 

The bird and bee are here ; 

The May-time is a gay time, 

The blossom-time o’ the year. 

A BIT OF ADVICE. 

Ladybug, ladybug, if I were you, 

I always would carry a bucket of dew 

To dash on my house if it burned; and then maybe 

I ’d save every dear little ladybug baby. 

A MATTER OF TASTE. 

Jack Spride 
Liked nothing fried, 

Which made his faithful wife decide 
To boil the doughnuts quick and hard 
In a pot of hot and hissing lard. 

He found them on the pantry shelf, 

And ate them, holes and all, himself. 

« I can’t abide a thing that ’s fried, 

But these are boiled, » 

Quoth Mr. Spride. 

53 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A RECEIPT. 

Take a lot of good nature and plenty of fun, 

And stir them up often together; 

Then once in a while add a sweet, sunny smile— 
T will make brightness in dreariest weather. 

A LUCKY TRAVELER. 

« I Ve traveled much,» said the elephant, 
«Both sea and land I Ve crossed; 

I Ve always sent my trunk ahead, 

And it never has been lost.» 

A JUNE INDUSTRY. 

A million wee cradles 
Are curtained with green, 

But of all the dear babies 
Not one can be seen 
Until the June sunbeams 
The curtains unclose, 

And coax from each cradle 
A pinky, wild rose. 

A PRETTY GAME. 

The sun and rain in fickle weather 
Were playing hide-and-seek together, 

And each in turn would try to chase 
The other from his hiding-place. 

At last they met to say good-by, 

And lo! a rainbow spanned the sky. 

54 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


SOME IMPOSSIBLE THINGS. 

Like Johnnie’s pocket without a string, 

Like a robin-redbreast that cannot sing, 

Like a primer without an a-b-c, 

Like a field of clover without a bee, 

Like a peacock without a tail to spread, 

Like mother’s needle without a thread, 

Like a grown-up world without girls and boys, 
Is a Fourth of July without a noise. 

NORTH AND SOUTH. 

The little boys in Labrador 
Would stare if they should see 
A crop of yellow oranges 
Growing on a tree. 

The little boys in Florida 
Declare they ’d like to know 
How balls are made 
And walls are made 
Of watery stuff like snow. 


QUEER THINGS. 

My grandpa tells the queerest things. 
He ’s seen a little house with wings; 
He says a vine can climb a tree, 

And rivers run till they find the sea; 
He ’s often seen a rope walk, too, 
And a horse fly on the avenue. 

55 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


POP-CORN. 

When little Maizey came to town 
In the pleasant autumn weather, 

She wore a simple yellow gown 
Without any fuss and feather. 

But she warmed her feet by the fire one night 
In the frosty, cold December, 

When pop! this Maizey left our sight, 

And a dear little creature dressed in white 
Danced on the glowing ember. 

THE TURKEY’S OPINION. 

« What dost thou think of drumsticks ? » 

I asked the barn-yard bird. 

He grinned a turkey grin, and then 
He answered me this word: 

« They ’re good to eat, they ’re good to beat, 
But, sure as I am living, 

They ’re best to run away with 
The week before Thanksgiving! » 

A MERRY THOUGHT. 

If all the little children dear 

Who are glad vacation days are here 

Should stand in a line with their books and slates 

They ’d reach across the United States, 

And then if they counted one, two, three, 

And laughed— what a long, long laugh ’t would be! 

56 v 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


A GOOD METHOD. 

There was a little schoolma’am 
Who had this curious way 
Of drilling in subtraction 
On every stormy day: 

« Let ’s all subtract unpleasant things, 

Like doleful dumps and pain, 

And then,» said she, « you ’ll gladly see 
That pleasant things remain.)) 

FUN ON THE TURNPIKE. 

A grasshopper and a spotted toad 
Jumped a rope on the turnpike road, 

Till the grasshopper blistered both his feet, 

And his delicate face was as red as a beet, 

Till the toad grew dizzy and fell on a stone, 
Hitting his northwest crazy-bone. 

When a bobolink told them ’t was very improper, 
«Oh me!» sighed the toad; «Oh my!» laughed 
the hopper. 

HOW TO DO IT. 

When Madam Kangaroo wants to buy her children’s 
dinner, 

And cannot leave her baby because it will not sleep, 
She does n’t sit and rock it, 

But she puts it in her pocket, 

And then off she goes to market with a hop and skip 
and leap. 


57 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


PREPARATION. 

Blow, wind of March, blow all about, 

And clean the cracks and the corners out; 
Sweep with your brooms the earth and sky, 
For company ’s coming by and by, 

And everything must be fresh and sweet 
When we hear the patter of April’s feet. 

A PROMISE. 

We won’t forget the birthday 
Of a noble little boy 
Till hatchets climb the cherry-trees 
And clap their hands for joy. 

And we truly will remember 
That he did n’t tell a lie 
Till cherry-stones 
With moans and groans 
Devour a hatchet-pie. 

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. 

Mrs. Green is springtime, 

Mrs. Brown is fall, 

Mrs. Gray is a rainy day 

When the clouds are over all. 

Mrs. Flower is summer, 

Winter ’s Mrs. White 
And Mrs. Snow (they ’re twins, you 
know) ; 

Mrs. Black is night. 

58 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


FOURTH OF JULY. 

What does it mean to one little maid ? 
Pop-corn and peanuts and pink lemonade. 
What does it mean to two little boys ? 
Torpedoes and fire-crackers, racket and noise. 


A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY. 

« 0 bent and hoary ashman, 

With forehead free from guile, 

Pray tell me, was your father’s home 
Fair Erin’s Emerald Isle ? » 

«My father was J-talian;" 

He traveled many a mile,» 

Said the bent and hoary ashman, 

With a musty, dusty smile. 

« From that land of flowers and poesy 
Did you come with all your kin ? 

Your mother— was she lithe of form, 
Dark-eyed, with olive skin ? » 

« My mother she was born in Maine; 

To lie would be a sin,» 

Said the bent and hoary ashman, 

With a musty, dusty grin. 

«Of course, then, you are Yankee born; 

’T is just what I should think; 
Perhaps you came from Mount Desert, 
Or old Penobscot’s brink ? » 

59 


LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 


« I was born on board an English brig; 

Last year they let her sink,* 

Said the bent and hoary ashman, 

With a musty, dusty wink. 

«Oh! then in English waters 
It cruised, I make no doubt; 

And you grew up an English lad, 

Hale, ruddy, round, and stout.* 

« It sailed beneath the Spanish flag, 

’T was Spanish out and out,* 

Said the hoary ashman, as he laughed 
With a musty, dusty shout. 

« Fair Spain is then your native land; 

Will you ever seek her more ? 

And were you babe or round-eyed boy 
Before you touched her shore ? » 

« I never saw a Spanish port; 

We cruised round Ecuador,* 

Said the hoary ashman, and he laughed 
With a musty, dusty roar. 

« Whether English or Italian, 

It does not signify; 

Or Spanish, South American, 

Or Yankee; you may fly 
And empty straight my ash-bin.* 

He made no more reply, 

But this bent and hoary ashman 
Heaved a musty, dusty sigh. 

60 


PRECEDING PUBLICATIONS OF 
LEMPERLY, HILLIARD, AND HOPKINS 

The Way a Soul Dies. By Orville E. Watson. 
1895. 200 copies. 16mo. 72 pp. Boards. 

Verses. By Mary Wright Plummer. 1896. 300 
copies. 16mo. 31 pp. Boards. 








































































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